Shingeki no Kyoudai
by hidekey
Summary: Have you ever noticed how similar the titans' smiles are to that of the Truth's or the Amestrian army's mannequins in FMA Brotherhood? This was a concept niggling at the back of my mind.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Have you ever noticed how similar the titans' smiles are to that of the Truth's or the Amestrian army's mannequins in FMA Brotherhood? This was a concept niggling at the back of my mind, if there's interest, I'll continue to post chapters, otherwise it'll just be what it is.**

"What incredible energy!" Father exclaimed from his place in the center of the nationwide array. "I can barely contain it! And with this energy, I will open this planet's gate!" The five sacrifices struggled in vain as their bodies were forced into a pentagram that tore the very essence of the world from the gate that contained it. The countrywide array activated, sucking the souls of all Amestrian citizens into the philosopher's stone at Father's core. The planetary Gate opened, and Father activated his other array, ready to ascend to Godhood. He had thought that he had enough power to absorb the Gate of the world, but somehow his calculations came short. Rebound struck him, shattering his philosopher's stone into millions of souls, scattering across Amestris and growing into 15 meter human-like images of the Truth. The philosopher's stones in Father's homunculi shattered from sympathetic vibrations creating smaller, 5 or 7 meter creatures. These mindless quazi-homunculi, driven by instinct, searched for human souls to consume in order to power their shard of philosopher's stone located in the back of their necks. The only Amestrians who survived the making of the philosopher's stone and the rebound, the 5 sacrifices, were swallowed by the Gate.

* * *

412 years passed, Amestris completely forgotten, and the walls Maria, Rose, and Sina erected in a circular form based imprecisely on the geography of the only land that wasn't infested with Titans. Wall Sina sat mere meters from the place that once held Central Headquarters. The moon drifted closer to its zenith, as did the sun. Many who observed the sky were convinced that the moon and sun would crash, bringing upon them the end of the world; while the priests insisted the walls would protect them. Titans crowded Wall Rose with an uncharacteristic urgency that only further convinced the people of their doom. Darkness gradually overtook the sky, until it was interrupted by lightning that rose from the ground rather than falling from the sky. A gate appeared flush with Wall Sina, facing out into the lands of Rose. It ominously opened its doors, and black hands with unbelievably long arms reached out in a thick bundle. Just as the people thought a new terror had come to kil lthem all, the hands deposited a small pile of bodies on the ground and withdrew into the gate. Both Gate and hands vanished from sight.

"Al," a boy called out in desperation, followed by a triumphant cheer. "AL! You got your body back!"


	2. First Day of Training

**AN: Thanks for the support :D I'll warn you now, I don't keep to a schedule on my updates. I more or less write until a chapter is ready and then post it - however long or short a time it takes.**

"Blah Blah Blah Blah!" The drill sargeant in front of Ed said. When the alchemist didn't answer, the shouting got louder, angrier. _Shut up,_ Ed thought, trying to keep an eye on Mustang. The Colonel had complained of headaches this morning, the array he used to restore the older man's eyesight was readjusted without enough time to test it. Too bad it had to be tweaked on their first day of training; Ed would need to keep a close eye on him.

The drill sargeant forced his face inches in front of Ed's, and was shouting really loud now, "BLAH BLAH BLAH TOO SHORT BLA-" Oops, he'd punched the man with his automail arm.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO MINISCULE THAT AN ANT WOULD STEP ON HIM AND NOT EVEN NOTICE?!" He matched the drill sargeant for volume, if not spittle production. "And stay out of my face," he calmed down (calm for Ed, anyways) after his rant. "I don't need you in my way when I do this 3D maneuver thing."

"DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHO I AM?!" The man screamed. His cheek was already purple, his eyes rolling in the back of his head with uncontained rage. "I AM YOUR DRILL SARGEANT, SOLDIER! AND UNTIL YOU ARE ASSIGNED TO A LEGION, I AM YOUR COMMANDING OFFICER!"

"What?!" Ed didn't sound disbelieving so much as dismissing. "I don't take orders from anyone but the Colonel Bastard over there," helpfully pointing out the reason for his insubordination. _Hmm, why is Mustang cringing?_ _That array must still be bothering him._

* * *

Roy Mustang, former Colonel of the Amestrian army, was humiliated to be standing next to so many green recruits. He was twice their age, and several inches taller than most of them. He understood the need for it though, and he'd already resolved to swallow his pride for the sake of learning how to destroy these giant homunculi. He'd spent his whole life aiming for the fuhrership, dirtying his hands for promotion after promotion, and now he was back to square one. These people still lived on Amestrian soil, even if that isn't what they called it anymore, and he had long ago devoted his life to protecting Amestria and her citizens. Warfare had evolved since he'd been gone, and he needed basic training just to keep up.

3D maneuver gear; it would have been impossible to even think of a few weeks ago, until Ed and Al approached him with a pair of glasses. _ "The lenses are made of crystal, and the wires wrap around your head in a band to connect an array to your occipital lobe." Al had explained when installing the device. Roy eagerly activated the array, seeing the shapes of Ed and Al proudly gazing at their handiwork. Ed slapped his left arm around his brother, and slapped the boy's back. The wraith-thin boy barely kept his feet. "Al got the idea when he remembered Feury showing him how his radar machine worked."_ Their explanation was oversimplified, Roy knew. Nobody but the Elrics would have been able to create such a thing. He definitely appreciated their gift; though he couldn't see color, his vision already extended past the range of an ordinary person's. The brothers explained that, as his mind learned to adjust to the widened field of view, he could alter his glasses until he had nearly a full sphere of sight around himself.

He smirked. Though he still wished he could regain his sight, to be able to see colors and read books, this was in some ways better. The drill sargeant was glaring at him... and Fullmetal was _pointing at him_... he cringed. Something incriminating had just happened to him while he was woolgathering (a rookie mistake, he really should know better). He may not be able to see the red on the drill sargeant's face, but he knew that expression only too well; it was the 'that damn kid ignored the rules of the military again and it's all your fault!'

"Is there something amusing about what he just said, c_olonel_?" The angry man asked derisively.

_Aw, crap!_


	3. First Day of Training 2

Roy lifted his hand halfway to the salute that had been ingrained in him for nearly a decade, before he returned it to the strange new salute these people had. "I am very sorry, sir. What did Fullmetal..." _Oops, getting caught up in old habits, again._ "What did Major... I mean -Edward- do _this_ time?"

"According to him, you're his 'commanding officer', so why don't _you_ tell _me_?" The drill sargeant demanded.

"I am sorry, sir, but you may have noticed that I have been recently demoted. I'm not complaining," He was sure to add quickly. "After all, I've been AWOL for over 400 years." The man's eyes widened considerably.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you!" He demanded. Mustang was nearly a head taller than him, thus when standing at attention his blind eyes habitually settled into the forward gaze trained into him.

"I am, sir." He replied calmly.

"Your eyes are staring above me!" He shouted, spittle landing on Roy's chin.

"Sir, I am blind. I see using radar/sonar wavelengths received through my glasses, and as such I do not need to move my eyes to see in your direction."

"HOW IN THE HELL DID A BLIND MAN GET ADMITTED INTO MILITARY TRAINING?!"

"I'm sorry, sir. I wasn't aware we had preceeded the urgent message sent to brief you on Fullme- Edward Elric, Alphonse Elric, Izumi Curtis, and my circumstances." From his posture, the sargeant was aware of a message that he hadn't yet read.

"If you would like, sir," he offered. "I could brief you on it."

"Don't take such a casual tone with me!" he demanded. "And LOOK AT ME WHEN I AM TALKING TO YOU!" Roy resentfully aimed his eyes where eye contact would have been.

"Permission to Speak. Sir!" He held his posture and tried to remember he no longer outranked a sargeant.

"DENIED!"

"Once a military dog, always a military dog," a woman drawled. He disappeared from Roy's view so fast, he earned the former colonel's grudging respect.

* * *

"AND WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, CRITISIZING ME?!"

"Izumi Curtis, housewife." She replied with a smirk.

"IF YOU EXPECT TO JOIN THE MILITARY WITH THAT ATTITUDE-"

"I expect to do no such thing," she replied, her voice even and reasonable, but the aura of threat heavy enough to weigh down on him, survivor of several Titan missions. "What I _expect_ to do," she continued, "is protect my boys from the likes of dogs like you." She stifled a coughing fit, then intentionally spit blood on his shoe.

_"__**INSUBORDINATION!**_" He howled. "So _those_," he pointed back to Ed and Roy, "are _your boys_?"

"No," She corrected. "Edward and Alphonse are. That other one is just a pet dog who followed them home. They pleaded and cajoled with me until I allowed them to keep it." She smiled at him like the housewife she claimed to be.

"This is no place for a housewife," the sargeant accused. "Go home."

"Not unless my boys come with me." she demanded.

* * *

"And _you_," he pointed to the emaciated child that Curtis had pointed out.

"Yes, sir?" Al asked politely.

"With a body like that, you're just wasting my time!"

"Sir, I do apologise for the state of my body, but I have already gained 150% muscle mass in the two weeks I've had it. I'm sure that, with a little determination, I can keep up with the rest of the recruits." The sargeant stared at him, considering. He was the last of the four mentioned by the 'colonel', and the only one with the right mindset for recruitment.

"Recruit Alphonse Elric, why are you here?" He fell back into his role of intimidation, ready to quash his idealistic reason he'd joined.

"I was involved in the original alchemical rebound that created the Titans, and since alchemy has been forgotten since that time, the four of us that the Col- -i mean Recruit Mustang listed earlier, have the most knowledge about - and the best chance at eliminating - the source of the Titans.

_Goddamn, _the drill sargeant realised. _I really need to read that message!_


	4. Disciplinary Action

**AN: I'd just like to thank everyone who is following my story. This is an overwhelming following compared to my other stories combined :) Here are some details, Arekanderu. Hopefully this gives some more insight. I'll offer other little tidbits like this, if I'm asked questions that I can answer in this format.**

Information we can share so far.

Titans are creatures born of the Philosopher's stone. Most are instinct-driven to consume human lives in order to power the stone within them. However, over time some of the titans have consumed more than enough to fuel them, and evolved. These are aberrants. The personality of the Titan begins to reveal itself, but the mind is very simplistic in design. Further evolution brings them as close to the original homunculus as they have so-far become: a near-human personality controls the power of the stone, able to disguise themselves as human. Of the seven sins, we have observed only two advanced titans who have gained traits similar to the original Homunculi. The armored titan exhibits the trait of impenetrable armor, similar to Greed's. The colossal titan exhibits the comparative size and strength of Sloth.

"Sasha Blause!" Sargeant was ready to kill!

"And I suppose you're with them?!" He veritably squealed in fury.

"No, sir." she replied. She thought for a moment, then broke her potato in two. "Here, you can have half."

In the silence, Edward Elric's stomach growled loud and long.

"YOU ARE ALL DISMISSED! _Colonel_ Mustang and his subordinates, I will see you in my office!"

* * *

"Fullmetal, I expect your best behaviour," Mustang lectured on their way to the Sargeant's office. Ed gathered the breath to protest, deflating when his colonel continued: "I know that I can't expect _much_ from you, but if you care at all for your liesure time," _and mine,_ he added silently. "try not to cause bodily harm to _Our_ superior officer." He would say so much more, if the door wasn't so close. They'd be way out in Titan territory if they continued walking while he lectured Ed. He sighed, _Not enough time in eternity to talk sense into Fullmetal!_

* * *

"Where's the others?" Sargeant asked.

"This is my only subordinate, sir. As I am technically a recruit, he is technically not under my command."

"Technically or not, he has stated that he will only follow your orders." Sargeant seemed more calm, now that he'd read the briefing. Wanting the situation clarified, and his name not on the disciplinary list, Roy cleared his throat.

"Major Elric, as your superior officer I order you to follow the Sargeant's orders."

"Fuck you, Colonel Bastard, you're not the boss of me!" Roy looked pointedly at his Sargeant.

"What about the brother and the 'housewife'?"

"Civilians. Granted, Alphonse was a civilian with unprecedented clearance, who followed military decorum better than his brother, it doesn't go beyond mutual respect. He acknowledges his position as recruit, sir. _Your_ recruit. The 'housewife' is not even on the rolls, sir."

"Very well. Ms Blause is under disciplinary action. You will both escort her until she is done."  
"What the hell do you mean by that?!" Ed started in. "You're only here to train- mmphmmmmm!" Roy winced when Ed bit the hand he'd placed over his mouth.

"Thank you sir. We will see to it."


	5. Poor ol Sargeant

"Whew!" Edward slowed to a walk, watching Sasha finally collapse from exhaustion. "That wasn't a bad workout." He began warm-down exersizes with Mustang.

"Mmm," His CO hummed in agreement. Ed was bound and determined to continue thinking of Mustang as his commanding officer to hide behind whenever he was in trouble, no matter WHAT that cranky sargeant told him. "I forgot how much rougher the drill camp regimen is. I got a stitch in my side just from running." He said it so casually, that the blond girl rushing to Sasha's side squealed incredulously.

"Hah," Fullmetal replied. "That's because you're nothing but a desk monkey. If you did your own damn dirty work, you wouldn't have all that doughy flab on yo- THAT'S FOOD!"

Mustang turned from his inspection of his middle, where Ed had pointed. (He had a six pack, but none of the flab Ed mentioned.) Ed and Sasha were in an all out battle for the bread. It had been shoveled into mouths instantly, but now the two were prying open each other's cheeks to reclaim as much as they could.

"Fullmetal! Stand! Down!" He didn't use that tone often on his subordinate - _former_ subordinate - but when he did, it meant that a misbehaving young blonde was mere seconds away from a scorching. It had taken three and a half occasions of testing his limits before Ed made it a point to fear his fiery wrath. Ed slunk to the bunkhouse, much like an embarrassed cat who was pretending he'd meant to do that anyway.

* * *

"First we'll evaluate what you have!" Sargeant announced. "Anyone unable to do this can't even serve as a decoy! They will be sent to the frontier."

"These involve only the rudimentary basics," the higher-up told his aide as they walked up to the training recruits. "But even at this stage you can see their potential with the maneuver gear." He pointed at Mikasa,

"Look. She's stady as a rock. She knows exactly what to do. That's what I mean by potential. Looks like we have a lot of talent this year."

"Um, what about him?" The aide pointed.

"Edward Elric! You have to balance upright, Upright!" Ed crossed his arms,

"I _am_ upright, sargeant Loser." He glared down at him from his angled viewpoint. "It's this low center of gravity, makes me list to the right because of my arm."

"If you can't balance properly, you're going straight to the frontier!" Ed glared, then reached around under his sleeve. After a metallic twang, his automail limb fell to the ground. In the air, Edward gracefully straightened out and listed only slightly to his left. Not a soul saw him, all looking at the limb on the ground. Movement at the neighboring station caught his eye. Roy smirked, performing a somersault in his gear. Ed glared, one-upping him with a double flip and half-twist.


End file.
